BobDigital
Pro Bowl Player
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- Aug 10, 2013
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6 games in the books and we're down to the elite eight... mostly elite. Here are my thoughts this weekend. Feel free to post your own as they will be scatter shot. Maybe a break down will come later but few games deserve it this week IMO. In case you need a reminder it was IND 24 @ BUF 27, LAR 30 @ SEA 20, TB 31 @ WAS 23, TEN 13 @ BAL 20, CHI 9 @ NO 21 & CLV 48 @ PIT 37.
1) So first off, only 1 real upset this week. Seattle losing to LA was a big shocker for me considering their QB situation. While they were not one of the top contenders going in they had the sense of a true dark horse that might surprise. FYI I don't consider CLV a true upset. Pitt and Ben was suspect as hell going into this game, no matter what the situation in Cleveland was.
2) No single team came out looking particularly amazing. While some looked better than others, no one gave a dominate performance. NO let Chicago stick around all game and it felt like they just had to get out of their way and let them beat themselves. As I said going in, worst team in the playoffs. They proved me right. The Bucs defense and offense both looked out of sorts, the game should have been a blow out, but they let them stick around. Lamar continues to inspire little confidence in his ability to take Baltimore deep. Though Baltimore's D was perhaps the most impressive single unit in these playoffs so far. The Bills were arguably outplayed by a much less talented Indy team. As for the other 2 teams, LAR has a hobbled QB, CLV was given gift after give and almost let a horrible playing Pitt team back into it. Plus their D looks like total trash. None of the potential top contenders gave us anything near a complete game, and none of the 2nd tier teams came close to calming many of the serious doubt about them, either because they are injury related or they were on full display on the field.
3) With the above being true, which team came out looking the best? The Bucs. I tend to always go with the team that has the QB who played the best. Brady balled in that game vs Washington and is looking sharp. It also helps many of their mistakes were unforced and uncharacteristic. 6 drops from the pass catchers, 4 from Godwin who is usually sure handed. A fumble from their 3rd string back who won't play next week, and going 1 for 5 in the red zone when they have one of the best red zone offenses in the game. These are things that should fix themselves. They also get their 2nd best D player back. Though losing a starting G is bad news.
4) The team that came out looking the worst? The Browns. The win was great and the first quarter was sensational. But it was clear from the word go that the first quarter had more to do with Pitt than with them. Pitt made a ton of errors and seems lethargic for much of that quarter. Not only that. Pitt routinely killed their own momentum and played with little urgency until it was too late, hoping the Browns would let them back in it, which they almost did. Against a Ben that for every good pass he threw, he seemed to either miss or toss a turnover worthy ball. As nice as this win in was for them, there were several issues on full display. Not only schematically and mentally, but a lack of 'the moment'. When they play their next opponent who is unlikely to gift them a bunch of early points, untimely penalties and turnovers, they will be in serious trouble.
5) Bad offense is more important than good defense. In these playoffs so far a trend, at least in my mind, is defense matters only when the offense falters. Some of the defenses had good game, particularly the LAR who had the only truly good defensive game of this round IMO. Every other defense which showed up did so only when the offense helped it out. The Bucs with miscues. The Bears with missed passes, dropped TDs and awful QBing. The Titans with being stubborn with a run game that clearly wasn't working while their passing attack was to a degree, even while injured. Indy played pretty good D at times, but they are out now and so not important going forward. Most of the good defensive games this week had more to do with the opposing offense than the defense (besides the Rams maybe, but even then Wilson wasn't great). This is a trend that might go forward, and if it does then that means the games will come down the the offense that game plans well, adapts quickly, and executes the best.
That's all I have for now.
1) So first off, only 1 real upset this week. Seattle losing to LA was a big shocker for me considering their QB situation. While they were not one of the top contenders going in they had the sense of a true dark horse that might surprise. FYI I don't consider CLV a true upset. Pitt and Ben was suspect as hell going into this game, no matter what the situation in Cleveland was.
2) No single team came out looking particularly amazing. While some looked better than others, no one gave a dominate performance. NO let Chicago stick around all game and it felt like they just had to get out of their way and let them beat themselves. As I said going in, worst team in the playoffs. They proved me right. The Bucs defense and offense both looked out of sorts, the game should have been a blow out, but they let them stick around. Lamar continues to inspire little confidence in his ability to take Baltimore deep. Though Baltimore's D was perhaps the most impressive single unit in these playoffs so far. The Bills were arguably outplayed by a much less talented Indy team. As for the other 2 teams, LAR has a hobbled QB, CLV was given gift after give and almost let a horrible playing Pitt team back into it. Plus their D looks like total trash. None of the potential top contenders gave us anything near a complete game, and none of the 2nd tier teams came close to calming many of the serious doubt about them, either because they are injury related or they were on full display on the field.
3) With the above being true, which team came out looking the best? The Bucs. I tend to always go with the team that has the QB who played the best. Brady balled in that game vs Washington and is looking sharp. It also helps many of their mistakes were unforced and uncharacteristic. 6 drops from the pass catchers, 4 from Godwin who is usually sure handed. A fumble from their 3rd string back who won't play next week, and going 1 for 5 in the red zone when they have one of the best red zone offenses in the game. These are things that should fix themselves. They also get their 2nd best D player back. Though losing a starting G is bad news.
4) The team that came out looking the worst? The Browns. The win was great and the first quarter was sensational. But it was clear from the word go that the first quarter had more to do with Pitt than with them. Pitt made a ton of errors and seems lethargic for much of that quarter. Not only that. Pitt routinely killed their own momentum and played with little urgency until it was too late, hoping the Browns would let them back in it, which they almost did. Against a Ben that for every good pass he threw, he seemed to either miss or toss a turnover worthy ball. As nice as this win in was for them, there were several issues on full display. Not only schematically and mentally, but a lack of 'the moment'. When they play their next opponent who is unlikely to gift them a bunch of early points, untimely penalties and turnovers, they will be in serious trouble.
5) Bad offense is more important than good defense. In these playoffs so far a trend, at least in my mind, is defense matters only when the offense falters. Some of the defenses had good game, particularly the LAR who had the only truly good defensive game of this round IMO. Every other defense which showed up did so only when the offense helped it out. The Bucs with miscues. The Bears with missed passes, dropped TDs and awful QBing. The Titans with being stubborn with a run game that clearly wasn't working while their passing attack was to a degree, even while injured. Indy played pretty good D at times, but they are out now and so not important going forward. Most of the good defensive games this week had more to do with the opposing offense than the defense (besides the Rams maybe, but even then Wilson wasn't great). This is a trend that might go forward, and if it does then that means the games will come down the the offense that game plans well, adapts quickly, and executes the best.
That's all I have for now.
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